Variety (Apr 1930)

Wednesday, April 9, 1930 REVIEWS VARIETY 55 NEW ACTS NATIONAL CAVALIERS (5) Songs 8 Mins.; One .68th St. (V-P) Another turn recruited from radio. Biller as a weekly feature •with the Cities Service Hour. (WEAF) Quartet harmony,. some- what different. Makes pleasant vocal fare. Boys do only eight minutes. With more time," it would begin to pall. As Is, monotony of style isn't noticed. David' Buttplph works at the Ivories and lightens the turn with exaggerated hand and head move- iTients, which drew personal atten- tion. Others are Leo J. O'Rourke, and Robert Stevens, tenors; John Seagle, baritone, and Darrell Wood- yard, bas.s. ASH and MILLER Tenors 14 Mins.; One iSlst St. (V-P) Sam Ash and Lou Miller, both tenors, mei-ge into a fair deucer handicapped at present by lack of a developed style of working together. Opening suggested boys might have hit upon an idea, both doing m. c. similarly to the special show worked out some weeks ago by five Chicago m. c.'s at the Oriental in that city. Beyond an opening verse or two as an e;ccuse for each telling the audi- ence who the other le, this twist has not been carried out by the tenors. Talk, when pointless or without self-justlflcatlon, becomes a hin- drance rather than a help, and In £uch cases, instead of covering up the awkward intervals between Fritz and Jean HUBERT "Realistic Inebriates" 6 Mins.; One 81st St. (V-P) Although one member Is a woman, this is not revealed, and It's a safe assumption, not guessed, until the bows. Both dress nattily in tails as fashionable souses. Soup and flsh tailored of horsehair cloth gives the turn a good flash as an added virtue to Its speed. Turn has Instantaneous show- building value for anywhere. Its shortness is an asset rather than otherwise. Comedy pantomime combined with legomania and hap- pily, free from usual cheap mugging. Only suggestion is that they elim- inate the hose-wiping bit which is non-essential and the one false note. Looks like this turn may be from the German music halls. Mute throughout. Name and style sug- gest - the continental ant'ecedents. Should find a Tong route over here. Land. Full Now FRIDKIN and RHODA (3) Dance. Revue 13 Mins.; One, Three and (Special) Lincoln Sq. (V-P) Pair used to do double, company of five. Honest effort to Intro new dance angles. They do to a certain de- gree but have to tighten rhythm holes before act can be put above neighb claiss. Regular flash spot for neighb program as is. Rhoda, when caught, looked as if doing rehearsal of leg and. arm bends instead of finished dance. - _|Frldkin missed a cue or two. En- songs, actually Increases the embar-' Ranees and exits ought to be tuned, rassment. That Is the experience of too. Costumes and settings attrac Ash and Miller, each with produc- tion seasoning and some profes- sional rep. Straightaway pops used by the boys, "Crying for the Carolines," "Love, Your Spell Is Everywhere," "Song of Vagabond" being Included. Appealing rendition, good voices and nice appearances. Only a question of setting the routine. Land. (7) HOLLYWOOD COLLEGIANS Orchestra 13 Mins. Three (Special) «6th St, (V-P) First-rate entertaining band at- traction, nicely staged and punchy enough for the best vaudfllms in existence. Seven, youths In collegiate garb open in a clowning number that Buffers a trifle from slowness. It's then some unique lighting effects that figure, some singing topping. From here on the Hollywood Col- legians start to move nicely, going In for comedy. ■ The laughs arrive In quick succession. "Trip Around the World" gag, with the boys doubling for laugh bits applicable to various countries, instrumental work being entirely secondary, is as surefire as desired. Gin bottle and Apache bits stand, out. Effective- ness of the Apache travesty would be heightened If not prolonged as far as It Is. "St. Louis Blues" num- ber with the drink explosion gag for a finish, done dust right and tops efforts for a neat close if applause and time do not kill an encore for a banjo specialty, vocal bits and some enslmble hoofing, as done here. Presentation of act tasteful, with both setting and lighting good. Opened show here and got across very fi^vorably. Char. TILLIS and LARUE (9) Dance Flash 12 Mins.; Full (Special) 86th St. V-P) Standard mixed dance couple in what seems to be new fiash sur- roundings. Supporting, a line of six girls, billed as Maryon Vadie Dan- cor.s, and planiste,' Nesa Scarre. Principals dancing remains high grade, support is satisfactory and the staging unusually good. Rates far better than the average terp fiash, that making it eligible for the best bills when flash is wanted on them. Tillis and LaRue do three of their stock routines, always working to- gether, and the line steps on with or before them each time, Latter's best Is the chicken number, seen some- where before, maybe by the same group. The billed planiste obviously does the timing and seems a factor. Costuming and production in gen- eral, very good. Biffe, HAZEL ROMAINE (1) Songs, Piano 11 Mins.; One Lincoln Sq. (V-P) Neighb No. 2. Same spot here for okay. Miss Ronialne is better than medium height for a girl and well built. Brunet, with typical cafe voice, epottingly tempting. Nothing much ..to presentation.manner. .Does about five numbers, clinching on the finale with "I'm Cryin' for the Carolines," with loud pit music for good walk-' off. Liked here. Male pianist accompanies. tive, opening In one and moving back to three and later to full with special hangings every time but maintaining opening drop for mid- dle split apart. Turn includes Esburn Sisters, brunet lookers and nifty jazz toe dancers, and Ambark Mohamad, Arabian boy aero dancer Opening is girl announcing act. and bringing on crew to give way before Frldkln and Rhoda for dance done in men's shorts and gym shirts. This is done in one. Moves back for more stage room after in- tervening toe dance by Esburns and Mohamad's aero for satirical adagio version on Adam and Eve. Closes In full with Russian tr.enkos and everybody on the whirl. Closing on five-act bill here for customers' recommendation. GEORGE HALL and His Radio Entertainers (14) Band, S.ongs and Dances 20 Mins.; Full Fox's Academy (V-P) Not so good as band acts go. Sets no pace and gets nowhere. Band composed of 12 boys In tux, besides George Hall, leader. Instru- mental contingent comprises eight wind Instruments, one violin, banjo, drum and piano. Selection of songs used shows poor judgment. Not va- riegated enough as mainly all were of one tempo, the "hot stuff." Either "Man From the South" or "St. James Infirmary" could be omitted as both are of the same basic "blues" Idea and a ballad substi- tuted. Not a slow tempoed tune among their renditions. Two girls support. One with singing and tap work, and the other with an acrobatic contortion, done In brassiere and trunk. Latter girl Is an asset, but the former helps slightly only with her legfmania. Her vocal work could be cut as it is lost entirely. Voice was barely audible beyond the eighth row. Two of the boys in the band assist with solo worki The violinist for stcpology with one of the girls and the left end sax player for some hoke with Hall and later for comedy Btepology. Latter chap was the main pillar in the whole turn and took all the plaudits for himself. Hall does nothing but lead and Introduce numbers. THREE CAPPS Dancing 6 Mins. Hippodrome (V-P) A dance act, best suited to No. 2 spots but not to me considered a.s strongest available. Gets by satis- factorily mostly on strength of speed. Two men and a girl, opening to- gether for a soft-shoe number and thereafter pairing off for double.s, or doing singles. Including hard- shoes, taps, etc. Girl proves her- self as agile as her male colleagues and from the routines it is apparent that trio \ino\f acrobatics. Nearly every number contains the suggcs tlon. The acrobatics are woven into the routines nicely and Improve the effect. Over lightly here at this porform- ance (Sat.). Char. Betty Jane COOPER REVUE (7) Dance Flash 15 Mms.; Full" (Special) State (V-P) Betty Jane Cooper is a tap dancer. Also In the act are two boys who lap so mufh better than Miss Cooper that hers looks rathor tame in com- ALBEE, BROOKLYN (Continued from page 53) strong on the laugh angle, with the trick kid auto car business aided by Tony Arreta. Capital turn for this spot or later. Seeley and Fields started in high with "Happy Days," whooped up for a smashing opening. Miss Seeley then Into "Crying for the Carolines" another number in high popularity at the moment and made to ordeis for the vigorous handling she gives it. They leave the piano for a mo- ment, going into "one" for a bur- lesque of "Command to Love" for a session of acrobatic low comedy by the pair and amusing travesty. Back to full stage and the piano for "Rio Rita," which isn't quite so well picked, although these two voices get most of it. Anyhow, they were 100% for 24 minutes, and left a tough spot for a. polite concert singer. Peter Higgins makes no vaude gesture at all. Walks out in street clothes—double breasted gray jacket for -this performance—and offers a song cycle of such things as "Fall- ing in Love With Someone," fol- lowed by a negro spiritual, and for the finish "Irish Mother of Mine." That's a group for a next-to-cJosIng turn. Personable young man with, nice, unassuming manners, and this crowd of shoppers loved him. Ben Blue, supported by Helen O'Shoa, buxon. tap dancer, and three other clowning men, closed the show and was a laughing hit. Blue's billed as from "Vanities," but his staff is genuine vaudeville, with a touch of Indigo In the lines but a \vealth of comedy surprises and a first-rate bit of comedy eccentric stepping for the. flnish In what he calls an Impression of Anna Pav- lowa doing the "Dying Duck" and a great bit of pantomimic buffoonery. Feature for the week in "Murder Will Out" (F. N.) and no panic but a flashy cast. Business at this Satui'day aftiar- noon performance down to one-third capacity. House Isn't making any headway against the Paramount and Fox In this downtown district, that Is plentifully theatred. Business In the Fox also was off, and the gen- eral conditions may have had some- thing to do with business. . Rush. RKO (Vaudfilm) Los Angeles, April 3. Unit here this week lacked the spontaneity of an outstanding com- edy act. Bill was comprised of four standards, with the Four Diamonds in top billing, Valentine Vox and Emily Walters in next to close, Great RoUe opening, and Walter Dare Wahl with Emmett Oldfield in second spot. Individually the acts were all that could be desired, but half the bill, comprising ventriloquism and mag- ic, didn't work so well. Audience went heaviest for Wahl and his partner. Their dead pan acrobatics polled the majority of the night's giggles. Valentine Vox and Emily Walters, ventriloquists, came a close second. Four Diamonds supplied the'song and dance routines, although Rolle's three femme midgets contributed along these lines, as interpolation for his mystery stuff. Diamonds'" knockabout sailer bit, with two youngsters, stood out as the in. Rolle's cabinet legerdemain and his fioating lady stunt offered noth- ing new In mysticism, but the mid- get novelty of the act appealed. Vox's patter with his girl partner and dummies received good returns. Feature was "Officer O'Brien" (Pathe). Business opening night near capacity. LINCOLN SQ. (Vaudfirm) Marked Improvement over the same end a week ago. Naturally neighb, but bill on the general view- point was okay when caught Satur- day change day at supper. Opens with Bud Carlell, rope spinner, and closes with flash by Frldkln and Rhoda. Three other acts—Hazel Romalne, Joe Toung and Co. and Barrett and Cuneen—^^in vaude end. Feature, "Dangerous Paradise" fPar). Biz fair but better than usual and packed for late performance. Run- ning time, 155 minutes. Bud Carwell opened despite a spacious but similar lariat thrower parison. Miss Cooper's advantage is that she's a girl and that, for a girl, her execution of the time step is exceptional. Besides which sh<^ has an attractive personality and an abundance of youth. Act has an- other pleaser In the singing girl and elaborate scenery. As good a flash in production as can be found around. Mi.ss Cooper docs her tapping on a .set of stairs. The tapping boys do one strenuous number that might stand out even better If they could but drop tho.se hand pointing ges- ture.s which every hoofer and his uncle are now using. Another pair of boys clean up the rostrum in an <>c(?entrlc sous© dance,.. In.v.olvlng more flTf>batlcs than-; actual danc- ing. Singing girl should drop her first number, ballad, for something more suitable. She Is a looker and vjiuflf sinK<--r of quality. Bl!/''- occupied Xo. 1 the week before. This is a good way to kill off salable material. Carwell's act is not new, but ho does hi.s stunts okay against an adobe and desert drop in two. His chatter do^^.^n't dent. Walkoff is spinning five ropes at one time, using hip contraptions. Koooived fittingly to make way for Hazel Ivo- mainc with I'ustomcrs" smile. Records indicate Miss Roniaino to be,new ot vaude. Slic's bruiiot of healthy hoiglit and figure, with a male pianist. Not a stage voice in the strict teolinioal sense. But slio has the cafe . knack of trilling in husky volume that takes in neighb.>; like this, but not elsewhere. Joe Young and Co., two girls and two men, In ooniody and tsihgiiig act that takes a double oh'in switch. With the latter turn the bill be- came soil of telegraphic, and "stop" could' have been written in here. For Fradkin and - Hhoda, closing, presented straight fiasli with satire angle that got nicked for a Moloney when the wideawake pit band forgot' the music in the middle of an ada- gio, upset the act's equilibrium (New Acts), and was pi-aotlcally re- s5pohsible for one of the Esburn Sis- ters, dancers, who appear with the turn, to double up on her pillow. Other member Ambark Mohamad, Arabian boy acrobat. Act plays in one, three and full special with at- tractive costumes, but gave evidence of needing more hohearsal for proper rhythm. HIPPODROME (Vaudfilm) Business light at the second .show Saturday, with it looking doubtful If "Son of the Gods" (F. N.) and Ike Rose's Midgets on the stage, plus Ray and Harrison, will draw heavy money. On whole show Is only fair, though the vaude seems to be im- proving a little at the big Sixth ave- nue grind of late. Cook, Morton and Harvey, trio doing a bike act -with basketball playing the feature, open, with two men in the game and the girl ref- ereelng. A, novelty act and largely for the family trade and neighbor- hoods, it failed to arouse much here. Running time could be cut, the con- test portion being prolonged too far. Three Capps (New Acts), on sec- ond In a dance act pleasantly done, but not rating for the better class vaudfllms. A moderately good comedy act that gets over most everywhere else, George Shelton and Co., found the Hipp, something to struggle against, with audience ^ either not caring much for the offering or missing most of It because of the size of the house. Shelton lias a good all- around act with dancing and some singing to pace the low comedy. On next, W. H. Groh proved an Ideal selection for a house as huge as this. His i.s a dog act of "un- trained canines" that make them- selves a complete nuisance. They go through the routine so well It Is evidence enough that they have been very expertly trained. A capital lit- tle act, and Ideal for the family trade. Ray and Harrison, who always go big at the Palace, were also up against It here. They not only were far from stopping the show, but at the second performance Saturday got only spasmodic laughs and what might be termed a fair hand. Last of six acts, Ike Rose's Midg- ets, and more at home here than at the Palace, recently played. Also took well, with the midget's voices and numbers penetrating to the back of the house sufficiently well. It seems midget acts have always registered at the Hipp, both the Leo Singer and Rose acts having visited it several times. The Rose produc- tion isn't as flashy as .Singer's but scores rilcely on entertainment. Entire vaude show, 82 minutes. Feature runs 92, which along with newsreel (Pathe). trailers and or- chestra overture directed by Charles Stein, brings whole performance up to three hours, flve minutes. ■ Hipp Is fitlH using morning fea- tures now and then besides the reg- ular screen attraction. This week "The Barker" (FN), as a revival. Is the a. m, attraction. Char. Par's'30-^31 Film Program 65 Features and Others Par's '30-'31 program has been .set ipii advance of the May conventions at 05 features; lO-l one-reel and 26 two-reel talking shorts. Number of Par features runs the .same as for c\n-rent season, but It. I.s likely the budget to cover will run higher for the new li.st. Stagehand Killed in Auto Making Exhibit Detroit, April 8. Frank Craig, Stage Iland.s' Local No. 38, was killed at the Fox the- atre here. He was helping set up a special stage demonstration of the.assemblying of two automobiles when a chain snapped and liit him on the head, lie died almost in- stantly. The stage stunt was called off, but will be used at a later date. Crack assembly crews from the Hudson Motor company factory lo- cated here assemble a Hudson and Essex car in view of the audience during the stage shoW/ ACADEMY (Vaudfilm) . Another of those three-hour show.s for flr.st half and loads of .satl.sfying entertainment. With dress shops in vicinity getting great play from suburbanites and others, Academy has become chief resting spot of the shoppei-.'-. like Proctor's 23d Street was some 20 year.s back, when It bounded the department store dis- trict of that era. Packed house Saturday. Two-hour stage show, consi.stlng of seven acts, and with ff^ature, "The Sky Hawk" (Fox), consuming another hour. The TJessems, male fom-some. In lively balancing and acrobatics, opener, with the head balance on ladder the wallop. Jean Carr followed with a couple of top routines that plantf-d her and then brought on ma and pa for dance fiolo.s that got over in a big way. -JackAnd.I</ti:..!rp.an(rlfr rllf-kf-d in a revur-tte with tlirf-e otjieVf.' " Ff-a-' tured f-am iuindlfs rontody rr-p.-irt'-r of the wisf-i-rafking hot(-l clerk atiil girl K'l'-st v:iri'-fy, iir'-f<-'llnj; 111'' songs and dances and ^'•i'h tiie STAMFOED'S 2,500-SEATEE .Stamfox'd, Conn., April 8. The Theatre Realty Company of this city has purchased a site at the Intersection of Main and South streets for the erection of a $1,000,- 000 theatre. The house will seat 2,500. Work will start at once. De luxe picture policy. combo fitting In to a nicety. Un- billed team of travesty acrobats keep them roaring. Plenty of fun and speed in this turn . r-j^ Venlta Gould, mimic, held next spot her her footlight impressions, and leaving to good applause. Ben Barton and Co. held them with a novelty band act. Band In baker outfits spotted In the window of a vaude cafeteria at opening as. back-up for Barton's entrance and introductory. Goes to full, with band cracking across torrid tunes under Barton's leadership, spaced by song and tap dance by Marietta Murphy and a sou.se dance by Eddie Rogers, both registering. McManus and Hlckey, straight and comic, rolled them with hokum next to shut. Boys work up the Invisible speakeasy stuff for tops as a laugh getter. While far from new It gets results. Gomez and Winona, backed by Filipino orchestra, closed with danc- ing meritoriously appreciated by the outfronters. Mixed team at best in the Latin numbers and especially In tango. 7-jdba. 58TH ST. (Vaudfilm) Two feature names on a four act bill isn't bad. Supper show was weak in attendance. With two names, Harris and Radcllff and Johnny Downs, the "Our Gang" kid, plus a novelty opener and a colorful closer, the bill was boiind to fall on the right side of the fence, which It did. "Son of the Gods" (F. N.), feature flicker. Also Pathe Sound News. La Belle Pola, a w^ell trained monk who plays a pipe organ and dances the Charleston and varsity drag, was an oke opener. Three other monks also In the turn, two of which play Instruments and the third a little monkey trick on a pole supported by two girls. One of the fenimea solos twice, with a Jungle toe dance and the Charleston. Three minutes of screen snapshots were u.sed to introduce the "Our Gang" kid, Johnny Downs,' who proved to be much more of an adult than the pictures led, one to believe. Downs gets heavy exploitation on the R-K-O circuit and so is greeted with applause upon his entrance. Does songs and dances and spins a few anecdotes. Hl.q foot work Is best. Delivers per.sonably, and Is a refreshing youngster. The two colored kibitzers. Bud Harris and Radcllff, started Off slow with their letter reading come>£-^. Didn't start to take hold until they got to their piano and warbling, gagging, after which It was easy. Bud Harris' hoke leading of the pit orche.stra was amusing. Boys brought a colored lad on for a stair dance imitation of Bill Robinson and straight hoofing. Nina De Sllva and her "Flowers of Seville," a colorful flash, with the greatest asset their .scenery and cos- tumcK. Eight fcmmts a.sslst with .Spanl.sh song.s, and struts. Miss De- .Sllva singles thrice, doing two Cas- tanet dances and one tambourine. "Matt -Glbon.s, -who .supports, has his- big moment with an acrobatic, dance, done in "one." Turn didn't' i do so hot here. What drew Interest j rnf>!:t wau the material ti'immlngfl.